a later chapter from Esme the Great’s primer for her soul healer descendants

Soulbonds can be created between soul healers and our patient because we mesh our souls to their’s to heal them. The smaller the wound or ailment, the less energy and soul meshing is required to heal our patient, so the bond after smaller soul-healings fade. However, fatal wounds or ailments require our entire soul to mesh with our patient’s and an enormous amount of energy. (Never attempt to heal multiple fatal wounds in close succession unless already soulbound—your soulbond’s energy can support you then, but still never attempt more than three, or you’ll likely kill yourself and your soulbond.)

Meshing our entire souls with our patient’s creates an irrevocable soulbond the first time we heal an intelligent creature’s fatal wound or ailment. Non-sentient creatures, like horses or pets, don’t do the same because our souls are too dissimilar to remain bound. We can heal them, but ’tis much harder to alter our souls to match their’s, and we can’t hold it for long. However, we can soulbond with sentient magical creatures like elves, nightmara, griffins, and the like.

Once a soulbond is created, soul healers can heal other fatal wounds or ailments without forming another because our soul is always tethered to our soulbond’s. Soulbonds last until death, and our life forces are so intertwined that soulbound couples always die in the same moment. If formed between a soul healer and a human man (or a woman if you desire them), soulbonds are sexual and often blossom into a deep, steadfast love. The more powerful magic the soul healer and her soulbond possess, the more powerful their soulbond shall be.

Soulbonds grow over time and with physical intimacy. At the start, soulbound couples can sense each other’s general location and emotions, but later, they can also communicate mentally from afar. Especially once consummated, the pull of a soulbond is irresistible—soulbound couples are incessantly hungry for each other, and denying that is agonizing. Like with bloodbound couples, adultery is excruciating for consummated soulbound couples, and we enjoy better health once soulbound. However, we can bear offspring with others due to our high fertility. (Side note, bloodbindings were created to mimic soulbindings, which is why they’re so alike.)

Be careful when healing your first fatal wound or ailment. Choosing a soulbond isn’t something to do lightly. Often our families will attempt to choose them for us as soon as our powers appear. They find an appropriate male and form an agreement with his family then they compel us to heal his fatal wound (usually inflicted by his own family.) And once that soulbond is formed, we can’t undo it. So ’tis wise to hide your powers from anyone until you chosen a mate and become soulbound to them. If you don’t, you may end up like I was—soulbound to a cruel and despicable man at twelve. (Fortunately, King Maimaneros of the water elves locked that evil man in a spell-induced sleep as repayment for healing him with ambrosia and my soul healer powers, so I could marry my beloved Alastair.)